Twins Offer Unique Insights into Early Signs of Autism

Diminished eye contact during social interactions is one of the most immediately apparent traits in autism. Compelling evidence indicates that gazing differences are tightly tied to genetics.

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October 4, 2018

One of the most immediately apparent traits of many individuals with autism is their diminished eye contact during social interactions. Warren Jones and Ami Klin, researchers at the Marcus Autism Center at Emory University in Atlanta, have spent more than 15 years teasing out the ways in which the gazing preferences of people with autism differ from those of the general population. The duo explores how people on the spectrum look at and learn about the social world — and how differences in these gazing behaviors manifest early in life. And in 2017, in a collaboration with John Constantino of Washington University in St. Louis, they uncovered compelling evidence that gazing differences are tightly tied to genetics.